Sunday, May 17, 2015

Movie Review: Pitch Perfect 2

Photo taken by: Kim Ravia

Star Rating 3/5:   

I went to see the much-anticipated Pitch Perfect 2 tonight, directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, Adam Devine and Chrissie Fit. It is a comedy/music film, and for those who don't already know it is a sequel to the first Pitch Perfect film, released in 2012. In general Pitch Perfect 2 was an enjoyable and entertaining movie to watch, as there were quite a few highlights which kept people laughing the whole way through.

In Pitch Perfect 2 everyone's favourite acapella group is back! Three years after the original movie, most of the Barden Bellas; Beca Mitchell [Anna Kendrick], Fat Amy [Rebel Wilson], Chloe Beale [Brittany Snow], Cynthia Rose-Adams [Ester Dean], Stacie Conrad [Alexis Knapp], Lily Onakurama [Hana Mae Lee] and Flo Fuentes [Chrissie Fit] are now seniors at Barden University, with the exception of newcomer, Emily Junk-Hardon [Hailee Steinfeld], who is a freshman. 

After an embarrassing performance at the Lincoln Center the Barden Bellas decide to enter in the world acapella championships in Copenhagen, Denmark in an effort to redeem themselves. There's one problem however! No American team has ever won the competition, due to German acapella group, Das Sound Machine winning every year. In order to find their mojo again for the world championships the Barden Bellas have to reconnect, so that they can blow their competitors out of the water!

I loved the first Pitch Perfect film, and after seeing the trailer for the second film I will admit I did have high expectations for this one. While I did enjoy the movie, Pitch Perfect 2 was nowhere near as good as its predecessor, both music wise and in general, but then again most sequels usually aren't as good as the original film. 

It's a film about music, so I felt the music was used appropriately and it worked well. There was a great song selection from the acapella groups in the film, but considering the genre of the movie I kind of expected that. 

There were many highlights in the film, which kept me laughing through the whole movie. Our very own Rebel Wilson was as funny as always, with her comedic lines. It was interesting to see President and Michelle Obama in the film. Sorry to get a bit political, but when I saw that I did think where does he have time to do a cameo in Pitch Perfect 2? After the Barden Bellas incident at the beginning of the film I thought it was hilarious having real life talk show hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Rosie O'Donnel etc discussing it. It made the storyline seems more realistic.

I loved the addition of Hailee Steinfeld to the group. She added some more comedy to the film. I saw her in Begin Again. She seems very talented in both singing and acting, so I'm predicting she will be one to watch in the next few years. 

Overall I thought Pitch Perfect 2 was an enjoyable and entertaining movie, even though it's not as good as the first film. If you liked the first Pitch Perfect movie, then you'll probably like this one too!

Pitch Perfect 2 official trailer courtesy of: Universal Pictures UK

Have any of you seen Pitch Perfect 2 yet? Share your thoughts and opinions in the box below!      

 

Friday, May 15, 2015

STARDUST News Bytes- May 15

Photo from: Kathryne Perrill's Pinterest account

STARDUST weekly tidbits is back this week, with a bit of a name change. I renamed it "STARDUST News Bytes", because I thought it was catchier. Here are some of the latest entertainment news headlines from around the world...just in case you missed them!

Johnny Depp's dogs depart Australia
Mr Depp's two dogs, Boo and Pistol are expected to depart the country in a private jet tonight, after the actor allegedly smuggled his pets into Australia bypassing Australia's strict quarantine laws. "I'm informed that Pistol and Boo are preparing to fly on a private jet back to the United States, which is the best news that I've got. Mr Depp decided he'd step around our nation's laws. Pistol and Boo have had their lives threatened by the actions of Mr Depp, as a consequence" Australia's Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce said in a statement. If Johnny Depp hadn't got Pistol and Boo out of Australia by 9:30am tomorrow the two Yorkshire Terriers would've faced euthanasia. 

David Letterman final guests revealed
David Letterman's three-night farewell begins on Monday, May 18. Tom Hanks will make his 60th appearance on The Late Show and Pearl Jam frontman, Eddie Vedder will also perform on Monday night's show. Bill Murray will be Letterman's guest on Tuesday. Murray was Letterman's first guest on the show, Late Night, which debuted on February 1, 1982 and he was also the first guest on The Late Show when it debuted in 1993. David Letterman's final show will go to air on May 20. "The show will be an hour filled with surprises, memorable highlights, the show's final Top Ten List and more" CBS revealed. 

Kim Richards officially charged for drunken hotel fight
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards has officially been charged for her arrest at the Beverly Hills Hotel last month. On April 16 the reality TV star was taken into custody at 2am for public intoxication. She allegedly yelled at other bar patrons, locked herself in the bathroom and kicked a police officer in the leg. Despite checking into rehab following the incident the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has charged the 50-year-old with three counts of public intoxication, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. If found guilty of these charges Richards could spend up to two and a half years in jail.

Cate Blanchett reveals same-sex relationships
The Australian actress has opened up about some prior same-sex relationships. Blanchett disclosed that she has engaged in romantic encounters with women "many times". The topic of sexuality came up when the 46-year-old started discussing her role in the upcoming film, Carol. The film is set in 1950s New York, and is about a female department-store clerk [Rooney Mara] who dreams of a better life and falls in love with an older, married woman [Cate Blanchett]. 

Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande team up to sing Crowded House hit
The two paired up for a performance for Miley Cyrus's Happy Hippie Foundation, which is an organisation that helps homeless youths. The girls did their own take on Crowded House's 1986 hit, Don't Dream It's Over. Both Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande were rocking onesies for the duet.

Just as a side note, I've seen the video of Miley and Ariana's performance and it's really good! Despite all of Miley's antics, I have to hand it to her she's very talented with her music. I'll put the link to a Youtube video of the duet below, and let me know what you think! Got any opinions on this week's news bytes? Leave your comments below!

         Video footage: Mileyrics Youtube channel

Information compiled from: Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and ABC News 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Say goodbye to American Idol

Photo from: Gossip & Gab's Pinterest account


Fox has announced yesterday that American Idol will have its final curtain call next year for season 15. Fox says they are planning a season-long celebratory event that will pay tribute to the past 14 seasons of talented contestants. Idol has been responsible for launching the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks and Adam Lambert. 

The show is a pioneer in the music competition genre, but has failed to keep the ratings it once had due to more recent shows in the genre, such as The Voice on NBC and Empire another Fox music-based series. A change of judges from the original Paul Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell to Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr and Australia's very own Keith Urban didn't help ratings either, so the show succumbed to something that kills all television series-old age. The Idol juggernaut was franchised around the world in the early 2000s, including to Australia, where it ran from 2003-2009. 

J-Lo, Harry Connick Jr and Keith Urban, along with host Ryan Seacrest will appear on the show's final season. Idol's final season will debut on Fox in January 2016. I have to say the most entertaining American Idol contestant for me was William Hung. I mean, who could forget this? (see the video below). Have you guys had any favourite Idol contestants over the years? If so, share your thoughts in the comment box below!

                                       Video footage from: Shooter McGavin's Youtube channel

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Had enough of hearing about the Kardashians? #KardBlock

Photo from: Kanga Real Estate Group's Pinterest account






If you haven't heard already, social media app developer James Shamsi has created an AdBlock version of the Kardashians called the #KardBlock. How does it work exactly? Well, if there's anything about the Kardashians on your newsfeed, the website you're on etc the app simply makes it disappear. 

"We're tired of logging on to any site and seeing stories of the Kardashian family overshadow REAL news. We don't care about who the Kardashians are or aren't sleeping with. We don't care that Kim dyed her hair blond. We don't care about the Kardashians. You won't ever know the stories about the Kardashians are there, because you won't ever see them. We are also working on customisation to block content related to Justin Bieber" the statement on the website says.

I'm an entertainment journalist and want to know a little secret?...I can't stand the Kardashian/Jenner clan either, but unfortunately sometimes I have to write about what they're doing so I'm probably not going to use the app myself but I'm guessing it will be a popular one. I did have a laugh when I read about it yesterday. I'm looking forward to this Justin Bieber blocking app as well, maybe it could be called #BiebBlock. I'm thinking a Miley Cyrus news blocking app should be next on the agenda?

Is anyone reading this going to use #KardBlock? Here's some food for thought! If you could create an app blocking a celebrity (besides the Kardashians) who would it be? Leave your comments in the box below!     

Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson in One Direction feud

Photo from: Hannah Geron's Pinterest account






On Wednesday, Zayn Malik lashed out at his former One Direction band mate Louis Tomlinson on Twitter. "Remember when you had a life and stopped making bitchy comments about mine?" Malik tweeted. The drama is in response to Louis Tomlinson's recent dig at music producer Naughty Boy, who posted a photo of himself and Malik with the caption "Replace this". This sparked Tomlinson to respond, "@NaughtyBoyMusic Jesus forgot you were such an in demand producer...How does it feel to be riding on the back of someone else's career?" Tomlinson wrote.

Needless to say this feud has caused a stir amongst One Direction's legion of teenage fans, so Zayn Malik received a bit of backlash for his earlier comment and later tweeted "Don't know why I'm being attacked for defending myself, people got it twisted! I love my fans?! Every single one of you x".

Personally, I can't stand social media feuds like that. I think they're very attention-seeking and childish. If Tomlinson and Malik wanted to discuss something they should've done so on the phone or in person. Why do you need to argue on Twitter where everybody can see it? They're both just as childish as each other in this situation, so you both need to grow up boys!

Got any thoughts or opinions on the One Direction feud? Feel free to comment below.  

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Met Gala 2015; My red carpet picks

Photo from: Met Gala Twitter account


Fashion's biggest night of the year; the Met Gala was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York yesterday. This year's theme was China: Through the Looking Glass and guests were encouraged to dress in theme. Chinese billionaire, Silas Chou was this year's host of the $US25,000 a ticket affair but it is Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour who oversees the star-studded guest list and has done so since 1995. This year's guest list certainly didn't disappoint. Some of the A-list attendees for 2015 were; Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon and many others.

As always all eyes were on the red carpet to see what the celebrities were wearing. A lot of people have expressed their opinions on who they think was the best dressed this year but here are my top ten red carpet dresses from the 2015 Met Gala. I noticed red was a favourite this year, but I suppose that fits in with the Chinese theme doesn't it? 

1. Reese Witherspoon in Jason Wu- This dress is just so classy and love the necklace too! Resse actually looks like a jewel. Apart from being one of my favourite Hollywood gals, she always seems to get it right fashion wise.
 

2. Kate Hudson in Michael Kors- Kate Hudson is another one of my Hollywood favourites! I love this dress! Love the colour! She looks like a trophy. Just beautiful!
 

3. Sofia Vergara in Marchesa- Sofia Vergara looks gorgeous in just about anything, but I love this dress because it's so elegant. The pattern on the front is what makes this dress I think.
 

4. Kendall Jenner in Calvin Klein- Now I'm not usually a fan of the Kardashian/Jenner clan but I have to give credit where it's due. Kendall Jenner looks smashing in this Calvin Klein number! It's a lovely colour and she just sparkles.

5. Selena Gomez in Vera Wang- Loving this dress on Selena! It is simple yet elegant.

6. Irina Shayk in Topshop- So in love with this dress! The colour is magnificent and definitely suits Irina also love the embroidery on the dress. It just shows you don't have to wear massively expensive designer brands to look stunning.
 
   
7. Lily Aldridge in House of Herrera- I just love the colour of this dress. It suits Lily so well! The opening on the front of the dress is just right. Lily's showing her best points, without revealing too much, unlike others (not mentioning any names LOL!) 

8. Lizzy Caplan in Donna Karan- Again I just love the colour and how it looks on Lizzy.


9. Vanessa Hudgens in H&M- I just love the shine of this red dress. The black beading works perfectly as well! Vanessa Hudgens just looks so well put together in this number. Thumbs up for the dress from H&M as well! Another example of looking stunning, but not spending ridiculous amounts of money on the dress. 

10. Emma Roberts in Ralph Lauren- Love the emerald green colour! It looks amazing and it's something different, without being tacky. Very classy also!

Well, there you go! That's my top ten red carpet dresses from the 2015 Met Gala. I don't often write fashion related articles, mostly because I usually don't have a clue what I'm talking about (haha!), but with the amount of celebrities who attend this event it overlaps with entertainment. Hope you all enjoyed it anyway!

Have you guys seen any fashion favourites or even faux pas from the Met Gala this year? Would love to know your thoughts so feel free to comment your little hearts out!

Above photos from: Met Gala Facebook page 

Monday, May 4, 2015

2015 TV Week Logie Awards- Live Blog

Photo from: TV Week Facebook page

So, the 2015 TV Week Logie Awards just wrapped up at Melbourne's Crown Casino tonight. I assume by now Karl Stefanovic is getting his groove and/or drink on at the Channel 9 after party. I thought the awards were definitely an improvement on previous years. I really enjoyed watching the Logies this year. There were performances by The Script, Ricky Martin and Meghan Trainor. For those of you who may be reading this blog from overseas the TV Week Logie Awards is the Australian television industry's night of nights. Here is my live blog of the awards if you didn't get to catch it earlier! Hope you enjoy it and happy reading!

 
7:04pm - And we're on! 2015 TV Week Logie Awards red carpet!

 7:05pm - I love you Carrie Bickmore but please but your boobs inside your dress next year okay? Thanks.

 7:13pm - Sandra Sully and Asher Keddie look stunning on the Logies red carpet! Such class!


7:20pm - Not sure where the red carpet begins and Shelley Craft ends? She is camouflaged by the red carpet.
 
 7:25pm - Delta Goodrem looking 10/10 on the Logies red carpet!
 
 7:27pm - Highlight of the night so far: Seeing last year's Eurovision winner, Conchita Wurst on the Logies red carpet
 
7:30pm - Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher from Neighbours on my TV now at the Logies! My favs! That is all.
 
 
7:36pm - The official TV Week Logie Awards start now!

7:40pm - Hughesy killing it now with the jokes! So funny!

7:48pm - Most Popular Light Entertaiment Program goes to... Hamish Blake and Andy Lee.
 
 7:53pm - Most Popular Drama goes to...Home And Away
 
 8:03pm - Not a fan of Ricky Martin's performance at the Logies tonight to be perfectly honest with you. Not really my cup of tea.
 
 
8:06pm - Not sure why this post didn't go through before but loved that 30 years of Neighbours mention earlier. And that cameo from Dave Hughes which we'd rather forget Haha!


8:12pm - The Logie Award for Most Outstanding Comedy goes to...Utopia 
 
8:15pm - The Logie Award for Most Popular Actress goes to...Asher Keddie! That's 6 years in a row for her! Congratulations Asher!
 
 
8:24pm - The Logie Award for Most Popular Presenter...goes to Carrie Bickmore. An emotional thank you speech as well. Well done Carrie!


8:30pm - The Logie Award for Most Outstanding Entertainment Program goes to... The Voice


8:35pm - Oops! Julia Morris forgot to show who was nominated for Most Outstanding Entertainment Progam. I noticed but didn't want to say anything LOL! She covered it up nicely though with jokes.
 
 
8:40pm - Most Popular Sports Program goes to...The Footy Show NRL. , Most Popular Lifestyle Program goes to...The Living Room and Most Oustanding Children's Program goes to...Nowhere Boys.
 
 
8:45pm - Most Popular New Female Talent goes to...Miranda Tapsell. Aw! I thought Olympia Valance had that one in the bag!
 
 
9:00pm - And my Logies crush is Ian Smith aka Harold Bishop from Neighbours...not!

9:02pm - Loving Hamish and Andy's Bachelor style nominations. It's hilarious! 


9:07pm - The Logie Award for Most Popular Reality TV Program goes to...The Block


9:10pm - The Logie Award for Most Popular Actor goes to...Stephen Peacocke
 
 
9:18pm - Logies In Memoriam segment now on.


9:37pm - The Logie Award for Most Outstanding Sports Coverage goes to...FIFA World Cup 2014
 
 
9:50pm - The Logie Award for Most Outstanding News Coverage goes to... Channel 7 for their coverage of the Lindt Cafe Siege. An extremely deserving win! I could not imagine what it would be like covering that from right across the road from where the tragedy was unfolding.
 
 
9:55pm - Loving The Script's performance right now!


10:04pm - The Logie Award for Most Outstanding Miniseries Or Telemovie goes to...Devil's Playground

10:15pm - Time for the Logie Hall Of Fame inductee! And this year it's Home And Away! Can they beat Neighbours stage performance from when they were inducted back in 2005? Yeah, didn't think so.


10:20pm - Most Outstanding Public Affairs Program goes to...Banking Bad
 
 
10:25pm - Most Outstanding Factual Program goes to...First Contact. I saw that! It was a really good program, hosted by the legendary Ray Martin.


10:29pm - The Graham Award Kennedy Award For Most Outstanding Newcomer goes to...Miranda Tapsell.
 
10:44pm - The Logie award for Most Outstanding Actress goes to...Danielle Cormack


10:49pm - The Logie award for Most Outstanding Actor goes to...Luke Arnold.

10:58pm - The Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama goes to...Wentworth. Was hoping Puberty Blues would take that one out again!
 
 
11:04pm - Almost time for the big gold!
 
 11:09pm - The winner of the BIG GOLD LOGIE goes to...Carrie Bickmore! How deserving! And what a touching moment for her to mention her personal loss to us!
 
 
11:14pm - So that wraps the TV Week Logies for annother year and my live tweet and blogging! Gotta say the awards were a huge improvement on previous years! I really enjoyed watching them this year! P.S. Will be wearing a beanie tomorrow in honour of Carrie Bickmore's husband and all those who have been affected by brain cancer.


11:28pm - Before I sign off for the night I'd like to thank all those who followed my live blogging and my live tweeting throughout the night. It really means a lot and I hope I managed to entertain you all!

 

 
 

 
 


 


 
 
 
 

Friday, May 1, 2015

Sam Smith cancels Australian tour

Photo from: Chloe Boundy's Pinterest account

Singer, Sam Smith has cancelled remaining dates on his Australian tour, as well as his performance at the Logies this Sunday due to a small hemorrhage on his vocal chords. The British pop singer was diagnosed in Sydney on Wednesday night after being vocally exhausted after months of touring. Smith has already done shows in Brisbane and Sydney this week and still had shows in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to do.

"The doctors have told me I need to fully rest until my vocal cords have healed, otherwise this could lead to a huge long-term issue. I am so sorry to all who have bought tickets. I truly am. This kills me" Smith said in a statement.  Smith's Australian concert promoters, Frontier Touring are in the midst of rescheduling a new Australian tour for December 2015. December will be a busy month for the company with tours by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. 

Here's hoping that Sam Smith has a speedy recovery and takes all the time he needs to get better. I hope he's back to his full ability soon!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

42ND Daytime Emmy Awards. Who won?

Photo from: The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Facebook page

This year's Daytime Emmy Awards were broadcast live on Pop TV and were held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. The ceremony was hosted by former daytime talk show host and supermodel, Tyra Banks. There was a tie in the biggest category (Outstanding Drama Series). Here is a complete list of nominees and winners at this year's show. 

*Winners are listed in red*

Category: Outstanding Drama Series
Days Of Our Lives (NBC)

The Young and the Restless (CBS)

The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
General Hospital (ABC)

Category: Outstanding Culinary Program
Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics (Food Network)
Guy's Big Bite (Food Network)
Martha Bakes (PBS)
The Mind of a Chef (PBS)
My Grandmother's Ravioli (Cooking Channel)

Category: Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show
Jeopardy! (Syndicated)
Family Feud (Syndicated)
The Price Is Right (CBS)

Category: Outstanding Morning Program
CBS News Sunday Morning (CBS)
Good Morning America (ABC)
The Today Show (NBC)

Category: Outstanding Morning Program in Spanish
Un Nuevo Dia (Telemundo)
Cafe CNN (CNN en Espanol) 
Despierta America (Univision)

Category: Outstanding Talk Show/Informative
Steve Harvey (Syndicated)
The Chew (ABC)
The Dr.Oz Show (Syndicated)
The Kitchen (Food Network)

Category: Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated)
Live! with Kelly and Michael (Syndicated)
The Talk (CBS)
The Wendy Williams Show (Syndicated)

Category: Outstanding Entertainment News Program
Entertainment Tonight (CBS)
Access Hollywood (NBC)
E! News (E! Entertainment)
Extra (Syndicated)
The Insider (CBS)

Category: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Maura West (General Hospital)  (ABC)
Peggy McCay (Days of Our Lives)  (NBC)
Alison Sweeney (Days of Our Lives)  (NBC)
Gina Tognoni ( The Young and the Restless)  (CBS)
Laura Wright (General Hospital)  (ABC)

Category: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Anthony Geary (General Hospital) (ABC)
Christian LeBlanc (The Young and the Restless)  (CBS)
Billy Miller (The Young and the Restless) (CBS)
Jason Thompson (General Hospital) (ABC)

Category: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Amelia Heinle (The Young and the Restless)  (CBS) 
 Linsey Godfrey (The Bold and the Beautiful) (CBS)
 Elizabeth Hendrickson (The Young and the Restless) (CBS)
 Finola Hughes (General Hospital) (ABC)
 Lisa LoCicero (General Hospital) (ABC)


Category: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Chad Duell (General Hospital) (ABC)
Scott Clifton (The Bold and the Beautiful) (CBS)
Kristoff St.John (The Young and the Restless) (CBS)
Jacob Young (The Bold and the Beautiful) (CBS)

Category: Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
Hunter King (The Young and the Restless) (CBS)
Kristen Alderson (General Hospital) (ABC)
Camila Banus (Days of Our Lives) (NBC)
Hayley Pullos (General Hospital) (ABC)

Category: Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
Freddie Smith (Days of Our Lives) (NBC)
Bryan Craig (General Hospital) (ABC)
Max Ehrich (The Young and the Restless) (CBS)
Tequan Richmond (General Hospital) (ABC)

Category: Outstanding Game Show Host
Craig Ferguson (Celebrity Name Game) (Syndicated)
Steve Harvey (Family Feud) (Syndicated)
Todd Newton (Family Game Night) (Discovery Family Channel)
Pat Sajak (Wheel of Fortune) (Syndicated)

Category: Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host
Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan (Live! with Kelly and Michael) (Syndicated)
Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood (The Talk) (CBS)
Wendy Williams (The Wendy Williams Show) (Syndicated)

Category: Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host
Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz and Michael Symon (The Chew) (ABC)
Dr. Mehmet Oz (The Dr.Oz Show) (Syndicated)
Steve Harvey (Steve Harvey) (Syndicated)

Category: Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team
The Bold and The Beautiful (CBS)
Days of Our Lives (NBC)
General Hospital (ABC)
The Young and the Restless (CBS)


Category: Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
Days Of Our Lives (NBC)
General Hospital (ABC)
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Category: Lifetime Achievement Award
Betty White

Information sourced from: Wikipedia